Blankets are used on horses to provide warmth during cold weather. Of necessity they tend to be bulky and heavy in weight. These blankets are fitted to horses according to overall length. The size of blanket to be used generally equates to or slightly exceeds the length of the horse with the length of the horse being the measurement from the center of the chest to the edge of his tail. Such blankets are manufactured in increments of two inches in popular sizes and four inches in less popular sizes.
Horses of identical overall length vary substantially in the muscular development of their chests, the width of their shoulders, and the height and width of their withers, specifically the distance from the center of their chests (where the blanket's neck opening begins) to the top of their withers (where the neck opening should end). Properly fitted, the front of the neck opening of the blanket should ride well above the points of the shoulders and the back of the neck opening should be at the top of the withers. This position enables the blanket to remain in a stable position relatively motionless as the horse moves.
If the neck opening of the blanket is too large for the horse, the front edge of the neck opening slips down to contact the points of the horse's shoulders. When the horse moves about, the movement of his shoulders causes the hair to be rubbed off and causes sores and further causes the blanket to rub back and forth on his withers causing the loss of hair, sores and in some cases severe galling which can disable the horse.
Often the neck opening fits adequately when the blanket is new but the strain placed on the front of the blanket by the horse continually putting his head down to eat and getting up from a reclining position tends to stretch out the front of most blankets causing them to sag and contact the horse at the points of the shoulders, thereby creating the rubbing and the sores.
Previous attempts to solve the problem involved lining the portion of the blanket that contacts the withers with sheepskin or foam inserts for protection of the withers. An anti-rub device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,182, is being marketed which provides for a protective undercover to protect the horse by preventing the blanket from rubbing hair off the horse's shoulders. This device is effective but it involves purchasing and using a second device in addition to the blanket.
Further, the size of the neck opening is made adjustable by the use of fasteners attached to the front of an open front style blanket. Open front blankets are those where the blanket front can be opened with the two sides of the front being typically joined by fasteners, either straps sewn on the two sides or interleaved through grommets. The straps may buckle or clasp as with surcingle hardware.
Open front blankets are in wide use. Their main purpose is to enable the blanket front to be opened so that it is unnecessary to slip the blanket on over the horse's head. Over the years, manufacturers have at various times attempted to offer adjustment of the neck opening by various methods which involve overlapping the two sides of the front and fastening them with straps or hardware.
These prior art methods have not been successful for a number of reasons. First, straps, whether made of leather or nylon or supplemented by elastic, have not held up well on the front of the blanket. There is too much strain and either the strap, the stitching, the grommet or the hardware breaks or wears out rapidly. Additionally, the fasteners are placed in a location which is convenient for the horses to bite at and tear.
Also, having the adjustment at the front always involves overlap of bulky blanket material at the shoulder which, when affected by movement, typically bunched up under the blanket and rubbed. Finally, having the adjustment in the front tended to pull the entire blanket forward and sometimes restricted the range of motion of the horse's neck. As the horse put his head down to eat, he would pull the entire blanket forward which caused it to destabilize and shift.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an adjustment tab formed by sewing on each side of the outer facing of the blanket on a line positioned diagonally between the center of the chest and the top of the wither a six inch strip of connecting material such as loop material sold under the trademark VELCRO to which is connected a six inch strip of mating connecting material such as hook material sold under the trademark VELCRO. A loop is attached to the blanket on the diagonal line in spaced relationship with the strips of hook and loop material. A first of the strips, being connected to the end of the other strip, can pass through the loop and attach itself to the other at various lengths to adjust the fit of the blanket to the horse. This adjustment provides a method of reducing the size of the neck opening by causing a pleat to be taken on each side of the slope of the shoulder approximately halfway between the point of the shoulder and the wither. This adjustment lifts the front of the blanket and enables the front edge of the neck opening to float safely above the point of the shoulder, thereby eliminating rubbing at the shoulders and rubbing at the withers. By causing the pleat to be taken on each side of the horse high on the slope of the shoulder, the necessary overlap of material is confined to an area that is relatively immobile and an area of the blanket that is not subjected to significant strain. Further, this arrangement enables the adjustment device to be placed in an area where the horse cannot bite or chew on it. Also, the adjustment lifts the front of the blanket without disturbing the fit on the horse's back, thereby insuring the stability of the fit on the horse's back.
Because the connecting strips are adjustable with respect to each other, the user can readjust the blanket as the front stretches out from normal wear. Additionally, the adjustment of the present invention enables the blanket to adjust down two sizes (four inches) to fit young horses and enable the blanket to be adjusted to them as they grow. Finally, the adjustment of the present invention enables blankets to be manufactured in closed front style where the two sides of the front are sewn closed for greater durability and yet can be adjusted.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustment tab for a horse blanket which reduces the size of the neck opening by taking a pleat on each side of the blanket high on the slope of the shoulder approximately one-half the distance between the point of the shoulder and the wither.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a horse blanket adjustment that lifts the front of the blanket and enables the front edge of the neck opening to float safely above the point of the shoulder, thereby eliminating rubbing at the shoulder and rubbing at the withers.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an adjustment for a horse blanket which confines the necessary overlap of material high on the slope of the shoulder, an area that is relatively immobile and an area of the blanket that is not subjected to significant strain.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an adjustment for a horse blanket which places the adjustment device in an area where the horse cannot bite or chew it.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustment for a horse blanket that lifts the front of the blanket without disturbing the fit on the horse's back thereby insuring the stability of fit on the horse's back.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustment for a horse blanket which enables a user to readjust the blanket as the front of the blanket stretches out from normal wear.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an adjustment for a horse blanket that enables the blanket to adjust down two sizes to fit young horses and for adjustment as they grow.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustment for a horse blanket that enables blankets manufactured in closed front style, blankets where the two sides of the front are sewn closed for better durability, to be adjusted.